Don't Look Back
by boswifedeb
Summary: Matt, Roy, and CJ are asked to help solve a string of murders committed in movie theaters. Will they all survive? Rated T for adult situations and violence. Just borrowing my favorite characters for a while. **Follows "Some Kind of Crazy"**
1. Chapter 1

**Don't Look Back**

Note: This story takes place immediately after "Some Kind of Crazy".

**CHAPTER 1**

"Matt, we're never going to get this closet cleaned out at this rate." CJ was putting her clothes back on as Matt just lay there watching her with a big grin on his face.

"So my plan is working, huh?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and laughed.

"You're impossible, you know that? But you sure are cute." She walked back over to him, leaned over and gave him a kiss, only to be grabbed and brought back down on top of him in the floor of the closet. Both of them started laughing, but that soon stopped as Matt began kissing her again, just like he had earlier when the chore of cleaning out the closet had been derailed.

He stopped for a moment and looked into her eyes. "I love you, CJ." He started kissing her neck and nibbled on an earlobe. Off came her shirt and neither of them were thinking about the closet anymore.

"So how was your weekend? Did you two get that closet cleaned out yet or is he still stonewalling on it?" Chris brought a stack of papers into CJ's office and handed them to her to sign.

"We're working on it – ever so slowly." CJ smiled as she thought about how her weekend plans for the closet had been totally ignored in favor of – well, other pursuits that Matt had in mind.

Chris caught the smile and could imagine how two newlyweds in an enclosed space like a walk-in closet could forget what they were there for, especially when the newlyweds in question were Matt and CJ. She was happy for the two of them. After years of denying their feelings for each other they had a lot of lost time to make up. She exchanged a smile with CJ as she took back the stack of papers and headed back to the outer office.

The elevator doors opened and out came Lt. Michael Hoyt. "Hi, Chris. Is Houston here?"

"He sure is. Go right on in. He's finishing up some paperwork. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." Chris and Hoyt both laughed. Matt loved nothing better than solving a case, but hated the paperwork that was involved.

Hoyt walked into the inner office and saw Matt sitting with his feet propped up on the poker table, a stack of folders in his lap, and his head tilted back on the chair lightly snoring. The lieutenant walked over, picked up another stack of folders and dropped them heavily on the table. Matt's eyes flew open and the chair fell over backwards. As he picked himself up out of the floor, he shot a glare at Hoyt. "That was just plain mean, Hoyt." The police detective was laughing so hard he was nearly in tears.

"Sure is hard having to do all that paperwork, huh, PI?" He continued to laugh as Matt started grinning.

"Looks like I got caught catnapping." Matt picked up the folders that had ended up in the floor. "What's going on with you?" He couldn't stay mad at Hoyt for very long. He was a good friend. They had helped each other out on so many cases and even saved each other's life over the years.

Hoyt's expression turned to one of seriousness. "I need your help, Houston. I guess you saw the news over the weekend: someone's been on a murder spree. And yours truly has been landed with the job of trying to catch the idiot."

"No, I haven't really kept up with the news the last couple of days." He smiled. "Do you know for sure that it was all done by the same person?" Matt moved over to the bar and poured coffee for the two of them. They sat down on the barstools.

"Yeah, I guess newlyweds don't watch the news much, do they?" Hoyt shook his head. "It looks like the same person. So far there have been murders Friday, Saturday, and then again last night. All of the victims were killed in movie theaters. Strangled with a rope - and their eyes were removed."

Houston stopped mid-sip. "Well, that does tend to make it sound like one suspect. Where were they exactly?"

Hoyt pulled out his notebook. "The first victim was a Frank Bartholomew – age 53. Single. Lived up in the Silver Lake area. The manager of the theater on Edendale was making sure it was empty before closing up for the night. Thought maybe he was asleep, but soon found out otherwise. The second victim was Elyse Oppenheimer – age 48. Married. She lived in the Boyle Heights area and was found in the theater on Whittier. The cleaning crew was going through and found her. Number three was Charles Rickman, age 50, also married, found at a theater over on Third. The kid from the concession stand was checking to make sure everyone was gone and discovered him."

"Do we know anything else about the victims? Did they have anything in common?" Matt set down the coffee cup.

"That's where we stand right now. I was hoping to speed things up by getting you to help. I was out of town all weekend and when I got to work this morning the captain dropped all of this in my lap. Of course he expects us to solve it and have the perp locked up by the close of business today as always." Hoyt said the last with a half-grimace on his face.

"Nothing unusual there. If I can get a copy of your notes it will sure help out." Houston stood up and took the notebook from Hoyt and headed to the printer located in CJ's office.

"Whatcha doin', Cowboy?" CJ looked up as her husband came into the room. He stopped long enough to give her a peck on the cheek.

"Making a copy of Hoyt's notes. He's got three murders that he wants us to look into. All of them happened over the weekend in movie theaters." He filled her in as he made a couple of copies.

"Well, guess I won't be going to the movies anytime soon." CJ moved a stack of folders into the outbox on the desk. "I've got my desk cleared now, so I can go see what Baby has got on the victims if you'd like." She stood up and walked toward the printer.

Matt handed her a copy of the notes and took her into his arms. "Guess I'll go check out the theaters." He gave her a kiss, then another longer one. Hoyt walked in, shook his head and cleared his throat. "Are you done with my notebook, PI?"

Houston held out his left hand with the notebook in it, but he and CJ continued kissing. "I thought we might go together to look at the crime scenes, since I haven't seen them myself." He waited. The couple continued to kiss.

Finally, CJ broke it off. "Time to get to work, Mr. Houston." She rubbed the stubble that was already showing up on his chin.

"Uh huh. Guess I'll see you later, Mrs. Houston." He brushed her hair away from her cheek and gave her another kiss. "I'll call you."


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Matt followed Hoyt over to the multiplex where the first victim, Frank Bartholomew had been found. As they entered the building Hoyt looked at Houston, who had a smile on his face. "Most folks don't wear a smile to the scene of a murder, PI. You sure seem to be enjoying the married life." If anyone had told him a couple of years ago that Houston would be happily married, he would have had them committed to an insane asylum. After all those years as a carefree bachelor heart-breaker, Matt had settled right in to life as a married man.

"Sorry, Hoyt." He wiped the smile from his face and tried to concentrate on the case. They turned left once inside the multiplex and went to the theater at the very end.

"Okay, theater number one. Our victim was found here." Hoyt motioned toward the right hand side, five rows from the back. Matt pulled out the small flash light that he had brought from the truck and began looking at the seat and the surrounding area. "The CSI's didn't find anything unusual. Just the normal popcorn and candy…" Hoyt raised his right shoe. "And of course chewing gum." He took a napkin out of his coat pocket and wiped the gum off of the sole of his shoe. "God, that's disgusting! Why can't people put their gum in the garbage can where it belongs?"

Matt started smiling again, then the look vanished. "What is it?" Hoyt saw the expression on his face. Matt pointed to the underside of the armrest where there was a black rosebud. Hoyt took out his phone and called the CSI's to come back out. "Good catch there, Houston. I'm surprised they didn't see that earlier." He and Matt waited for the crime scene techs to come out to bag and tag the newly found evidence. Once it was in the bag, Hoyt handed it to Houston.

"Looks like a real rose." He held it up to the light. "But when you get brighter light on it, it looks more like red than black." He handed the bag to Hoyt, who repeated the process.

"Yeah, sure does. I've never seen one like this before, have you?" He handed the bag to the tech who would transport it to the lab.

"No, can't say as I have. This sounds like a good job for CJ and Baby." He pulled out his phone and called the office. He explained what they had found to CJ, who immediately started Baby digging on the subject.

"There are two kinds of roses that are referred to as black: black magic roses and black bacarra roses. Of the two, the black bacarra has more black to it. I'll bet that's probably what you've got there." She continued her search. "There are only a few florists in the Los Angeles area who carry them."

"Okay, give me the names and addresses, CJ." He took a notebook out of his pocket and jotted down the information. "Thanks, darlin'. Love you, too. 'Bye." When he looked up Hoyt was standing there with a bemused expression on his face. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. I just can't get used to how much you've changed in such a short time." He turned and started out of the theater. "Guess we better get a move on and check out the other two theaters."

Matt put the notebook back in his pocket and followed the lieutenant out. "So tell me, Hoyt. Is it really a bad change?"

"No, not bad, just surprising. I'm glad you two finally got together…you were about to drive the rest of the world crazy."


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

"Okay, PI, crime scene number two. Our victim was found here." Michael Hoyt pointed to the left side of the theater, eight rows from the back.

Once again, Matt pulled out his flashlight and shone it on the crime scene, this time starting with the arm rest. Once again, he found a black rose.

"Damn it! That's twice the CSI's missed it. Once is understandable, but twice?" He got on his phone and called the tech that had come to the last crime scene. "Yes, again! Well it's certainly not my fault that your people didn't catch it. I'm just glad to have someone with me who was able to spot it." He hung up.

"Well, as most strangulations occur with the perpetrator attacking from behind…" Matt moved back a row and started looking at the seat right behind the victim's seat. "But I'm not seeing anything." He handed the flashlight to Hoyt who also inspected the area.

"I don't see anything either." He handed the flashlight back to Houston. "I just cannot believe the CSI's didn't see the roses. Everybody makes mistakes, but those folks just seem to see everything."

Matt nodded his agreement. "Just out of curiosity, what movies were being played when the victims were killed?"

"I don't know. But we can sure find out." Hoyt led the way to the manager's office. "Mr. Frederickson, this is Matt Houston, a consultant to the police department." Houston shook the man's hand. "Could you tell us what movie was being shown in the theater where Mrs. Oppenheimer was found?"

"Sure. It was a remake of a classic: "Don't Look Back.""

"Well, that seems like an appropriate title, huh?" Matt looked at Hoyt. "How about we make a phone call to the other two theaters and find out what they were showing?" He and Hoyt walked out into the lobby. As the lieutenant was making the phone calls, Houston wandered around the lobby looking for anything else that might help them. After coming up with nothing, he returned to Hoyt.

"Both of the other theaters were playing the same movie when the murders were committed." He started pacing around the area. "This is just weird. Is there a connection between the murders and the movie, or is it just coincidence?"

"Don't know. But it is definitely strange. I don't remember much about the original movie, do you?" Matt was looking at the poster for the movie that was hanging on the wall.

"If I remember right, it was something to do about some heiress inheriting a mansion, but she would only get it if she managed to last the weekend in it." Hoyt was never a big fan of the movies: he preferred books.

Houston nodded. "Guess I'll have to watch the original and see if it can give us any clues. I'm certainly not going to watch the remake in a theater."


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4**

"And last but certainly not least: crime scene number three where Mr. Charles Rickman was murdered." Hoyt led the way into the theater. "Center section, four rows from the back and about midway across."

Once again, Houston pulled out the flashlight, and once again a black rose was found. As Hoyt called the CSI tech yet again, Matt checked the row behind the victim's seat and found nothing.

"You know what occurs to me? We haven't seen one drop of blood. Wouldn't you expect to find at least a little bit considering that these folks' eyes were removed?" He looked at the lieutenant.

"You would think so. I understand why the victims were at the back of the theaters: nobody would notice the crime occurring. Totally understandable. But the black roses and lack of blood just don't add up. And I find it extremely hard to believe that the techs would miss a black rose three times. Those folks are really dedicated. I'm wondering if the roses were placed there after the CSI's had finished up? And if so, who in the world got in to do it?" He reached into his pocket for the always-present roll of antacids.

"Hoyt…" Matt started in.

"Do NOT go there, PI! I'm not in the mood for your yogurt remarks. Do you know how hard it is to give away 36 cases of yogurt? If I never see another cup of yogurt again it will be too soon." He was referring to the cases of yogurt that Matt had had delivered to his office a couple of weeks ago, partly as a joke, and partly to help his friend with his ulcer problems.

"I wasn't thinking about yogurt, but now that you mention it…" Seeing the look on the lieutenant's face, he changed his mind and decided to change the subject as well. "Never mind. But think about it: who would have access to all three theaters? Repairmen maybe?"

"Well, we can find out. I'll call the managers of the other two theaters and see what they can tell us. You want to take care of this one?" Hoyt already had his phone out.

"Sure thing." Matt started off toward the office. He stopped when he got to the doorway of the theater and noticed that there was a long black hair stuck to the door frame – with blood. "Hoyt, you better come look at this. We may have just found some blood after all."

Hoyt closed his phone and walked over. "I'm going to have to give you bonus points, PI. That's another save today."

Matt walked on out of the theater and found the manager in his office. He lightly knocked on the door. The balding forty-something manager looked scared to death.

"Y-yes? Can I help you?" He jumped up out of his chair.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I was just wondering: have y'all had any repairmen to come into the building about the time of the murder or shortly thereafter?" Houston leaned against the doorframe.

"No, sir, we haven't. I do most repairs around here myself." He still looked incredibly scared.

"Thanks for your time." Matt tried to give him a reassuring smile. He turned and walked back to the theater just as the tech arrived to collect the rose, and now the hair and blood that Houston had found. He didn't look happy to be there.


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

When Matt got back to the office, he found CJ still digging for information on the three victims. Chris had already gone to lunch, so the two had the office to themselves. He crossed the office, stepped over the back of the couch and sat down next to his wife.

"Hi, there. Didja miss me?" He put his arms around her and pulled her to him. She put her arms around his neck and the two kissed.

"You know I did. How did it go?" She looked into those big brown eyes with those big eyelashes and found herself having a hard time thinking about the case.

Matt filled her in on the case so far, but was having trouble concentrating on it. She had the most amazing eyes.

"What do you mean the manager had amazing eyes?" She looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"Huh? No, NO! God no!" He shook his head. She was laughing at him. "I meant you've got amazing eyes. Just got a little distracted." Matt curled a strand of her hair around his finger. "You tend to do that to me. Get me distracted, that is."

"Yeah, you kind of have that effect on me, too." She leaned forward and gave him a kiss that completely took his mind off everything else. After a few minutes, they both came up for air and Matt said, in the somewhat husky voice that she really loved, "Maybe we should go downstairs? You know, it's a little more private and…"

CJ grabbed him by the hand and they both took off for the stairs.

Later that afternoon, Matt and CJ were discussing the information that she had found on the victims.

"Okay, let's start with victim number one: Frank Bartholomew." His picture appeared on the screen. "He worked as a mechanic at a service center on Virgil. Apparently he was a good employee: his boss was very upset to learn that he was dead. No wife or girlfriend that I can find. I did however find that he owed the library $6.32 in late fees. Not much to go on I'm afraid." She punched a few buttons.

"Now, victim number two: Elyse Oppenheimer, married 23 years to her husband Joseph. He's a teacher at Westside Middle School. She was a press operator at a plastics plant near their home. Again, apparently a good employee - and no library fines." CJ proceeded on to victim number three.

"And last but not least, Charles Rickman. Twice divorced, and married to wife number three for the past six years. Mr. Rickman appears to have had some problems: namely alcohol and gambling. He was arrested twice for DUI and three times for illegal gambling. He was also between jobs." She sat back on the couch and looked at Matt. "So far, I haven't been able to find any connections between any of our victims."

Matt frowned. "Well, you know, they may not have any connection at all, other than the fact that they were all apparently murdered by the same guy. I sure hope the lab can give us a little more to work with, because right now, I'm not sure which way to go with this case." He stood up and walked to the window. "What about the florist shops?"

CJ punched more buttons. "Okay, there are five florists that carry black roses on a regular basis. First, Natasha's, over on Wilshire. They sold a dozen three days ago – a gift for a Goth singer from her manager. Then there's Blooming Love. The lady there told me that she sold a dozen to a long-time customer – a 93 year old widow who lives in Culver City. Next we have Budding Beauties, also on Wilshire. They sold six dozen to be used in a wedding this past Saturday. Number four on our list is Flowers by Eve, on Santa Monica Boulevard. They sold a dozen to be used on a soap opera set: "Passion and Pride". And the last is Marcia's Miracles on Carson. They used two dozen on a funeral arrangement for – of all things – a cat."

"A cat? As in Sylvester or Tom? You're kidding me." Matt was incredulous. He came back to the couch and sat down.

"Nope. Dead serious." She emphasized the last two words and gave him a big grin.

"Nothing like a play on words, CJ. But then you've always been good at that sort of thing." He reached over and kissed her. Uncle Roy walked in, saw the two newlyweds kissing and cleared his throat. Matt and CJ both waved while they continued kissing. "Guess we've passed the shyness stage in this relationship." He shook his head and went to the bar for coffee.

"Can I pour a cup for anyone else?" Uncle Roy was only pretending to be upset with them, and they knew it full well. "I could go for a cup. How 'bout you, CJ?" Matt got up and walked over to the bar.

"Sure. I never turn down a good cup of coffee." CJ joined the two men at the bar as Matt filled in Roy about the new case they were working on for Hoyt.

"Hmmm…don't think I'll be going to the movies anytime soon." Roy sipped his coffee. "I remember when the original "Don't Look Back" was released. What was the leading lady's name?...Natalie Wycomb. That's it. Funny thing is, she only made about four or five movies and then poof…she wasn't in anymore. I wonder whatever happened to her?"

"Wait a minute…she's one of the stars of that soap opera I was telling you about – "Passion & Pride". They ordered a dozen of the black roses to use on the set." She looked at Matt and Roy.

"Well, now that's sure interesting." Matt set down the coffee cup and looked up at his uncle. "Uncle Roy, I didn't realize you were such a big soap opera fan. Just goes to show you never can tell." He winked at Roy.

"My boy, there are a lot of things about me that you don't know. I'm so mysterious that I didn't even know myself that I liked soap operas." He gave Matt a big smile. "CJ, where are they filming this great contribution to American culture?"

With a snicker she replied, "At the Dominion Studios. Over on Wilshire."

"Guess I better go see what I can find out." As Roy started out of the office, Matt reached out and took CJ in his arms again. Without even looking back Roy said, "Boy, you're never gonna get this case solved if you keep smooching your bride all day." Matt and CJ both had shocked looks on their faces. Matt shrugged and pulled her to him anyway and began kissing her.


	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

Roy Houston fully expected to be turned away from the set of "Passion & Pride". He had walked up to the guard station and simply said, "Roy Houston here to see Ms. Natalie Wycomb." He was pleasantly surprised when the guard had issued him a pass and gave him directions to her dressing room.

The former CIA agent knocked on the door which was immediately opened by none other than Ms. Wycomb herself. He turned on the charm and told her that he was a big fan and was working for a magazine for senior citizens and wondered if she would grant him a few minutes of her time for an interview.

Ms. Wycomb's eyes lit up at the news. "Why, most certainly. Come right in!" Roy was ushered into a nightmare of pink and frilly everything. Everywhere he looked there were photographs of the aging star, each with a pink frilly frame. He gave her his most charming smile and started asking her questions, first about her role in the original "Don't Look Back", then bringing up her current role in "Passion & Pride". He took notes, but after hearing her prattle on about how she was certain that another good movie role was just waiting for her, he decided that Ms. Wycomb wasn't a murderer – she obviously couldn't think of anything aside from her desire to get back on the big screen. Roy gracefully ended the interview and was glad to finally get away from the actress.

Meanwhile, Hoyt had called Matt and told him what little they had learned from the lab. CJ had been right on the money when she told them that they were probably looking at black bacarra roses. No prints were found on the roses. The lab had also determined that the hair that Matt had found at the third crime scene was not human, but was synthetic hair from a wig. The DNA test on the blood that was with the hair was not back from the lab yet.

As Matt got off of the phone with Hoyt, Uncle Roy walked into the office. He sat down on the couch and heaved a huge sigh.

"Something wrong, Uncle Roy?" Matt looked at his uncle.

"Yes. I don't want to see anything pink and frilly for a VERY long time." He shook his head and chuckled. "I think we can rule out Ms. Wycomb as a suspect. She can't seem to think about anything other than the next possible movie role. And I don't think that's going to happen – ever."

CJ and Matt exchanged puzzled looks, then Matt brought Roy up to speed on the lab report. "So, it looks like we're pretty well at the end of the day, and we still don't know who the murderer is."

"Well, this senior citizen has a date with a most attractive and vibrant widow. You two kids stay out of trouble and I'll see you in the morning." With that, Roy got up and left.

"So, Mrs. Houston, what do you think about grilling up a couple of steaks and opening a bottle of wine?" Matt had walked up behind his wife and encircled her waist with his arms, pulling her to him and nibbling on her earlobe.

"Sounds like a plan to me. Then maybe we can work on cleaning out that closet." She looked back over her shoulder at Matt, who just wiggled his eyebrows and smiled at her.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

The next morning, Matt and CJ were talking on their way into the office about the case. They decided to dig a little deeper on the other purchasers of black roses. As CJ sat down and brought up Baby the computer, Matt went to the bar and poured two cups of coffee and brought them over to the couch where CJ was sitting.

"Alright, the purchase from Natasha's was made by one Terrence D'Orio for his client, a Goth singer by the name of – get this – TaDi4." CJ exchanged a look with Matt.

"Bet she doesn't sing about whiskers on kittens and such, does she?" Matt shook his head. "What do we know about the manager Mr. D'Orio?"

"He handles a lot of clients like Miss TaDi4. He's married, 41, father of three. Looks to be an upright citizen. No criminal record, unless you want to count parking tickets. He seems to collect them." CJ moved on down the list. "Next we have the purchase made from Blooming Love, a weekly order for a 93 year old widow, Mrs. Henrietta Hawthorne. The account is paid for by her nephew, Horace Hawthorne, 67, an insurance broker over in Silver Lake. Somehow I don't believe Henrietta is sneaking around movie theaters strangling people."

"And I bet she's not the one taking their eyes out either." Matt gave a little smirk.

"So, on to the next florist, Budding Beauties, six dozen roses for a wedding. Black roses in a wedding just don't sound right. Let's see, the bride's name is Anna Prokofiev and the groom is Vladimir Stalin. Hmmm, do you reckon he's any kin to…nah. Probably not. No criminal records on either one. And the last one is from Marcia's Miracles, two dozen roses purchased by a Michael Osterhouse of the Osterhouse Pet Cemetery and Crematorium, used on a funeral for a cat." She looked at Matt. "I'm all for taking care of your pets, but these roses are not cheap. Two dozen for a cat?"

Matt leaned back on the couch and sipped his coffee. "Maybe I should go see if I can dig up some dirt on the dead cat, whatcha think?" He looked over at CJ who fell back on the couch in a fit of laughter. Lt. Hoyt and Uncle Roy came walking into the office, just as Matt followed suit.

"It doesn't sound like these two are working at all, does it, Michael?" Roy and Hoyt exchanged glances. "Ah, young love."

"It's got nothing to do with young love, Uncle Roy. It concerns a dead cat." Matt managed to straighten up just long enough to get those words out, which set CJ on another tizzy of laughter.

"I'm glad you two can find humor in this mess. The captain sure hasn't been laughing." Hoyt walked over to the bar and poured himself a cup of coffee.

"Sorry, Hoyt." Matt looked at CJ and they both straightened up. "We've been looking into the sales of the roses. Not much to go on. But I think I'll check on the dead cat angle. It just doesn't sound right." He got up, held out his hand to CJ and asked, "Want to go help me check out the pet cemetery?"

"Sure." She got up and walked hand in hand with Matt to the elevator.

"You two be sure not to get into a fit of giggles again. It isn't proper decorum, you know." Uncle Roy was trying for a serious look, and was having trouble pulling it off. Matt and CJ nodded and managed to keep straight faces until the elevator doors closed. Then Roy and Hoyt could hear the peals of laughter start up again.

"I swear, you would think they were sixteen again!" Hoyt just shook his head and drank his coffee.


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

"Good morning. I'm Michael Osterhouse, may I help you?" The tall man behind the desk at the Osterhouse Pet Cemetery and Crematorium stood and shook hands with Matt and CJ.

"Yes, I believe you can. We're interested in pre-planning a service for our cat. He's getting older and not in the best of health lately." Matt felt creepy just shaking the man's hand.

"How responsible of you. We prefer that our clients pre-plan for the event, as it makes things so much easier on everyone in the end." Mr. Osterhouse stepped around the desk. "Are you interested in the traditional burial, cremation, or cremation burial?" He walked over to a display of urns and memorial stones.

"Well Hoyt, that's our cat, is traditional I guess you could say, so maybe the traditional burial would be best?" Matt looked at CJ.

"Yes, I think that would be best." As Osterhouse turned toward another display, CJ stifled a small giggle. She whispered in Matt's ear, "Hoyt? Are you kidding me?" Matt just shrugged his shoulders and followed Osterhouse to the far side of the room.

CJ followed and they listened as the man made his sales pitch. When Matt finally got the chance to speak, he asked about flowers. "Do folks generally have flowers at these services or is that a people-only kind of thing?" _Not the most graceful way to ask the question, Mattlock! _he thought to himself, but Osterhouse didn't seem to find it at all unusual.

"Some of our clients choose to have flowers at the services, but not many." He moved over to a catalog that showed different types of funeral arrangements.

"So you mean folks actually get arrangements, say one made out of roses, for their pets?" Matt was watching Osterhouse out of the corner of his eye. He noticed the man's expression change to one of slight discomfort.

"Some, yes. But as I say, most do not." Osterhouse then changed the subject to caskets and memorial stones.

"Mr. Osterhouse, we appreciate your help. I believe we need to discuss this matter further at home. We wouldn't want to rush into anything. Hoyt is very meticulous and we would want his service to reflect that." Matt wanted so badly to run out of the building, but managed to control the urge and calmly escort CJ out of the door and to his truck. As they drove away, he looked at her and said, "I have the most uncomfortable feeling about this guy. We need to do some more digging on him."

"I believe you're right." CJ started to giggle again. "So are we going to tell Hoyt about this?"

Matt just grinned. "I don't think I'm ready for the traditional burial service just yet, so maybe we better keep mum on it."


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

Back at the office, CJ was working with Baby to try to find out more about Michael Osterhouse. Matt was on the phone with Hoyt, telling him about their discussion with the pet cemetery director, minus the "Hoyt the cat" scenario.

"CJ's digging up more about him as we speak." Matt poured himself a cup of coffee and listened to Hoyt rail about the lack of progress on the case. "I know it needs to be solved. We're doing our best. Sometimes it just takes a little longer. You of all people should know that. What have you been able to find out?"

"Nothing. About the time I start working on a lead, here comes another case. I can't just drop everything and work on one case at a time." Hoyt sounded tired.

"When was the last time you took a vacation?" Matt was starting to worry about his friend. It wasn't like him to let something like this eat at him so bad.

"Hah! Vacation! Yeah, that's really going to happen. Just look at this past weekend: I go out of town for a couple of days and all hell breaks loose." He reached into his pocket for antacids.

"You really should try the yogurt, it'll help." Houston was trying to help.

"How in the…how did you know?" Hoyt was absolutely flabbergasted. "You've been around Roy for too long."

"Hold on, CJ's got something. I'm going to put it on speaker." He pressed the button on the phone and nodded at CJ to go ahead.

"Alright, I've been going back through the files on Michael Osterhouse. Seems that our favorite feline funeral director originally wanted to practice the profession on people. He was attending mortuary school and working part time at a funeral home. That is, until he was found, uh, shall we say, paying more physical attention to one of the bodies there than he should have been. He was kicked out of the school and banned from practicing in the state. Of course, that ban doesn't include working with animals, so…"

"I knew there was something creepy about that guy." Matt had a disgusted look on his face.

"He may be a pervert, but that doesn't mean he strangled three people and removed their eyes." Hoyt reached into his pocket once more for the antacids. "Have you two come up with any other leads?"

"Not yet, but I'm about to do some more digging. Horace Hawthorne is next on my list and CJ is going to try to find out more about Osterhouse. I'll let you know as soon as I find anything." Matt disconnected the call as CJ sat down on one of the bar stools and he swiveled around to face her.

"Okay, so on to Horace Hawthorne. You said he's an insurance agent. Somehow that doesn't sound like the type of person to go around killing folks." Matt got up from the barstool and walked across to the windows while CJ went back to the computer.

"So when are you going to see Hawthorne?" CJ looked over at her husband.

"Just as soon as I figure out what my cover story is going to be when I get there." He scratched his mustache with his thumb as he planned his next inquiry.


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER 10**

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Hawthorne. I'm Chuck Rankins." Matt shook the hand that was offered to him then sat in the chair in front of Hawthorne's desk.

"So, what can I do for you today, Mr. Rankins?" Hawthorne sat down in the big leather chair behind his desk and leaned forward eagerly. "Life insurance, perhaps, or homeowners?"

"Actually, you guessed it right the first time. I just got married a few weeks ago and about two weeks later my great aunt passed away. It got me to thinking about life insurance, so I thought I'd check into it." Matt adjusted his tie as he spoke to the broker.

"I'm so sorry for your loss. I have an aunt who is 93 years old. She's still sharp as a tack." He chuckled. "Nothing gets past her. She raised my brother and me after our parents were killed in an auto accident. Aunt Henrietta is more like a mother to me than an aunt. But enough about me, we need to find out exactly how much coverage you need." He slid a computer keyboard in front of him and began hitting keys.

"My great aunt loved flowers. I used to have them sent to her every week. It sure made her happy." Matt looked wistful.

"You do that, too? I send them every week to my aunt as well. I say I send them – I have a wonderful florist who picks out what to send every week. Good thing, too – since I couldn't tell a flower from a weed." Mr. Hawthorne chuckled again. "Now, back to you. We need to know several pieces of information about you so that I can give you an accurate quote."

Matt nodded his head and smiled. "So I'm not alone when it comes to flowers? That's good news." He smiled at the broker and had already decided that Mr. Hawthorne was probably not the serial killer they were looking for.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Back at the office Matt told CJ about Mr. Hawthorne and she began telling him about the further information that she had managed to find on Osterhouse.

"Matt, this guy is looking more likely in my opinion." They were sitting out on the patio sipping coffee. "He spent a little bit of time in a mental health facility after his troubles at the funeral home. It was court-ordered. Naturally, because of privacy laws, I don't have access to his records there. But I can tell you that he was there for 90 days."

"Okay. Your hunches are usually good. I think we need to spend a little more time on Osterhouse. And something else just occurred to me: his mortuary training may have given him the skills needed to remove someone's eyes without making much of a mess. Surveillance sounds like the best idea." He took a sip of coffee and considered the case. "There haven't been any more murders since Sunday night. Today is Tuesday. Maybe our killer only strikes on the weekends?"

"It's starting to look that way. But I'm still wondering about the roses: why didn't the CSI's spot them at the crime scenes?" She put down her coffee cup and looked up at Matt.

"I don't know. That's bugging me, too." Matt got up and walked to the wall at the edge of the patio and looked around at the skyline. "Looks like Uncle Roy and I will be taking turns keeping an eye on Osterhouse. Guess I better call Hoyt and let him know what's going on." He turned and started inside but stopped to give CJ a kiss on the cheek before going in to make the phone call.

CJ picked up the coffee cups and followed him inside. As she went to the bar to wash the cups, Matt sat down on the couch and dialed Hoyt's office. He filled him in on his observations of Hawthorne and then told him about CJ's work on Osterhouse and their plans for surveillance.

"You know the police department can't be involved in the surveillance, Houston. We have to have probable cause and a warrant. So you're going to be on your own." He tapped the roll of antacids on his desk. "All I can say is be careful."

"We always are, Hoyt." He hung up the phone, then picked it back up and dialed Uncle Roy's cell phone. They needed to do some planning.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

"Okay, Matt. Is it coming in loud and clear?" Uncle Roy had slipped into Michael Osterhouse's home and was planting miniature cameras in various locations. Matt was in the van outside checking the reception. "It's just fine, Uncle Roy." He looked up and down the street. Osterhouse wasn't due home for another couple of hours so they weren't expecting any problems.

"Hmm. Very interesting." Roy had gone down the steps to the basement.

"What's interesting?" Matt was waiting for the signal from the next camera to be activated.

"How many folks do you know that have formaldehyde around their homes, Mattlock?" Roy continued looking around the basement. "I don't see anything else suspicious down here. I'm going back upstairs to finish up. Is the camera working?"

"Yes, sir, it sure is." Matt turned on the next monitor.

"Okay, I'm going up to check out the bedrooms." Roy climbed the stairs, went through the hallway, and entered the bedroom on the right hand side of the hall. "Everything looks normal here." He opened the closet and looked through the contents. "Nothing unusual." He set up another camera on a shelf in the corner where it would pick up movement in the greatest part of the room.

"That one's working fine, too." Matt turned on the last monitor. He scanned the street again, but saw no activity. "Let's get this finished up, Uncle Roy."

"Alright. Matt, does this Osterhouse fella have a wife or a girlfriend?" Roy sounded slightly puzzled.

"Nope, not so far as we know. Why?" Matt adjusted the volume on his headphones.

"Because this is a woman's room if I've ever seen one." Roy looked around, then went to the closet door and opened it. "There's a walk-in closet filled with women's clothing. And there are two black wigs on the dresser." He set up the last camera in a good location behind a piece of artificial ivy.

"Yeah, I can see them, Uncle Roy. Get us a little sample of hair from those wigs and come on out of there. We'll give CJ a call. Maybe she can find out something about the woman in Osterhouse's life." He wondered if the wigs could possibly match the synthetic hair that he had found at the third crime scene. Once again he looked up and down the street, but again there was no activity.

Uncle Roy snuck out of the back of the house and walked back down the driveway to the street. He strolled on up the sidewalk and around the corner. Matt started the van's engine and a minute later went around the corner and up a couple of blocks to pick up Roy.

"Okay, Boy, that house is set to broadcast." He slid into the front seat. "Who's got first watch? I hope you, because I have another date with the widow tonight. She's cooking dinner for me." He smiled at Matt.

"Well then, in that case, I'll take the first shift." He took Roy back to the office and dropped him off, and gave the samples from the wigs to CJ to give to Hoyt for testing. He kissed her goodbye and got back in the van, then stopped by a hamburger joint and got some food for the long night ahead. He sure was wishing that his friends the Novelli's were still living in Los Angeles. It seemed like forever since he had had some of Mama Novelli's lasagna. He looked over at the bag filled with cheeseburgers and fries somewhat sadly.

A couple of hours and a couple of cheeseburgers into the stakeout, Matt was bored. Osterhouse had come home, microwaved a TV dinner, and washed a load of laundry while eating dinner in his boxers. He then went online and spent most of the evening surfing the web. By 10:00 he was in bed. While watching the monitors in the van, Matt dialed his home number. CJ answered on the second ring.

"Hi. Whatcha doin'?" Matt could just picture her in that slinky little blue…then he thought _Best not to think of that right now._

"Well, I thought I would get caught up on a few things around here. I've done two loads of laundry, swept, mopped, and cleared out the dishwasher. Real exciting, huh?" She had been trying to keep busy, thinking it would help to pass the time, but all she had thought about was Matt.

"Better than watching this guy eat a TV dinner in his boxers." He was really missing her. It was their first night apart since their marriage about six weeks ago.

"Oh, by the way, Bo and Lamar are back from Texas. They came by for supper tonight." She had never been so glad to see the pair of cowboys who helped out Houston on the ranch.

"Well, good. Now I won't be so worried about you tonight." At least there was somebody nearby if she needed anything. He just wished it was him instead.

"So what did you have for supper? No, wait, let me guess…uh, cheeseburgers from Patty's." She knew Matt's habits while on a stakeout.

"Yep. Not really what I wanted. I've been sitting here daydreaming about Mama's lasagna." He heard a noise coming through the surveillance equipment. "Oh, great, this guy snores. That just made my night so much more pleasant."

CJ laughed. "Well, maybe his snoring will keep you awake."

"I miss you." He couldn't believe how lonely it was in the van. It had never bothered him before. But then he'd never been married to the sexiest woman in the world before.

"Miss you, too. Maybe you won't have to watch this guy too long. I haven't been able to find out any information on whether or not he's got a girlfriend. The public records don't show any marriage license for him, so there isn't a wife or ex-wife in the picture." She hated his being gone tonight.

"Well, guess I better let you go. Are the doors locked?" He worried about her being there alone, well, except for Bo and Lamar down at the bunkhouse.

"Yep, locked 'em up after Bo and Lamar left. I'm fine, Matt – except for missing my sexy husband. Don't worry about me." She knew he was smiling on the other end of the line.

"Love you, CJ. Good night." He REALLY missed her.

"Love you, too, hon. Be careful. 'Night." She hung up. Now what was she going to do? Clean out that closet in the bedroom? No, not without Matt. She smiled as she thought about their attempts to work on the closet. She wandered around the house, finally landing in Matt's recliner. It still smelled of his favorite cologne. She inhaled the aroma, closed her eyes and thought about Matt.


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER 13**

Matt was asleep on the couch in the office when CJ got there the next morning. His tie was off, his shirt was untucked and his hair was slightly rumpled. She carefully slipped off his boots and covered him with an afghan that she kept in her office, then turned off the ringers on the phones on either end of the couch, as well as the phone on the bar. When Chris arrived, CJ told her that Matt had been on a stakeout all night and to take messages for him so he could get some rest. She then closed the doors to the main part of the office and went into her office.

An hour later, Hoyt called to see if there had been any progress. "Matt's asleep, so it would seem that nothing happened last night. I talked to him about 11:00 and Osterhouse was snoring."

"We really need a break on this case soon. The captain is breathing down my neck." Hoyt knew that Houston was doing everything possible to solve the murders. "I'll keep after the lab on the hair and blood samples."

"Okay, I'll tell Matt to call you when he wakes up." She hung up the phone and went back to wondering about the wigs and women's clothing that Roy had found in Osterhouse's home.

Five hours later, Matt came into CJ's office carrying a cup of coffee. "Good morning. Somebody seems to have taken my boots off of me. You haven't seen a boot thief around here, have you?"

"Yep, I sure have." CJ got up and walked over to her husband and ran her fingers through his still-rumpled hair, then kissed him.

"I do believe last night was the loneliest night of my life." Matt put his arms around her and hugged her close.

"I know what you mean. I ended up sleeping in your recliner." CJ laid her head on his chest.

"We've got to get this case cleared soon. It's interfering with our work on the closet." He smiled and kissed her.

"Yeah, that's what Hoyt said, too. Not the part about the closet, though." She smiled up at him. "He wants you to call him."

"Oh, boy, this should be fun." He turned and went back into the main office to make the call.

After hearing Hoyt complain about the captain's lack of understanding and reassuring him that they were doing everything possible to solve the case, Matt went downstairs to shower, shave, and change clothes. When he came back upstairs, CJ was on the phone.

"Hang on, Hoyt, he just walked in. I'll put you on speaker." She punched a button on the phone. "Okay, go ahead."

"Houston, I just got the report from the lab on the wig fibers and the blood. The fibers from one of the samples that Roy took match what you found at the third crime scene. There was no DNA match on the blood sample but we don't have Osterhouse's DNA on file. They said that it is definitely from a male." Hoyt sounded a little more hopeful.

"So we need to see if we can get a DNA sample from Osterhouse. But that still doesn't prove that he committed the murders." Matt was stumped. "We're going to need more than that. A match would just prove that he was in the theater at some point in time, it doesn't prove that he's our killer."

"I know, but it seems like a step in the right direction. It's the biggest break we've had. Now if I could just figure out the black rose connection…" Hoyt reached for the antacids.

"We'll keep working on it. There's not much more that we can do other than keep up the surveillance on him." Houston felt sure that Osterhouse was their man. "I'll call you if anything happens, Hoyt." He hung up the phone and looked at CJ. "It's just got to be him, CJ. I'd bet the ranch on it. But we've got to have proof."

"There haven't been any other murders like these three committed during the week. Today is Wednesday. We have two more days until the weekend." CJ thought some more. "I'll call Hoyt back and see if the lab was able to tell him who the wig manufacturer was. Maybe I can track down the buyer?"

"Sounds like a great idea. Listen, I'm starved. How about I go find us some lunch while you work on the wig deal?" He leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"Good idea. I'll get right on it." She watched him walk out of the office and onto the elevator as she dialed Hoyt's number.


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER 14**

By the time Matt got back to the office with three boxed lunches from Ricardo's Mexican Restaurant for CJ, Chris, and himself, CJ was on the phone with the wig manufacturer. He listened to her end of the conversation while setting out their lunches on the poker table and getting drinks.

CJ ended the call and made her way over to Matt and Chris. "The manufacturer is going to email a list of dealers to us. We'll have to work through them and see if any of them recognize Osterhouse. Oh, good! Chimichangas!" She dove into the lunch.

Chris was enjoying her lunch as well, when she suddenly thought of something that might help with the case. "I used to know a guy who competed in drag contests – you know, guys dressed up as women. He always got his wigs from a shop on Elliston. Said they catered to the drag queens."

"Thanks, Chris, that may just be the break we've been waiting for." Matt had almost wiped out his entire lunch.

"If only Mama could see you eating today, she would be so proud." CJ thought back to how Mama Novelli was always trying to feed Houston, saying he was too skinny.

Matt just smiled around a mouthful of the delicious Mexican food.

"Maybe we should take a picture?" Chris was laughing at the expression on Matt's face.

"Nah, I think video would do it justice, but since he's already cleaned his plate we're too late." She smiled at her husband. "Maybe Chris should go with you to the wig shop since she knows someone who shops there?"

"That's a great idea. Feel like getting out of the office for a bit?" He looked at the secretary. She was all smiles.

"I've never really gotten to help out on a case before. This is cool!" Chris was beaming.

"Well, it's not all fun and games. You have to be ready for the unexpected – like coming up with a name for your soon-to-be-deceased cat. Right, Matt?" She giggled as she thought of Matt's "Hoyt the cat" routine.

"Yep. It's tough work, alright." He was hoping to get this case wrapped up soon. Being away from home at night was not his idea of fun anymore, not since marrying CJ.

Forty five minutes later, Matt and Chris pulled up in front of the "You Go Girl!" Wig Emporium. "Well, this is a first for me. Never been in a wig shop before." Matt smiled at Chris as he opened the truck door for her.

They walked through the door and were immediately greeted by blasting dance music and the cheerful welcome of an employee. "Hey, there! Be right with you!"

Chris and Matt started looking around, trying to see if any of the wigs on display were a match to the photo that they had of Osterhouse's wig. They weren't having any luck. Matt turned toward the counter just as a very tall – individual – came through the door from the back room. He tapped Chris on the shoulder.

"And what can I do for YOU today, handsome?" The name badge on the employee's dress said Marquanda.

"Hi there, Marquanda. Uh, we have a question for you." He handed the photo of the wig over and asked, "Does this look like anything you have in stock?"

"Sugar, we used to carry that particular wig, but haven't had any for about six months. Really, I don't think that's what you need at all. And you know of course, that mustache will have to GO." Marquanda ran "her" hand over the stubble on his chin. "And you might want to consider laser treatments for the beard."

"Uh, well, uh…" Matt was shocked. He had no idea what to say next. Chris hopped right into the conversation.

"Oh, it's not for him. We know someone who has one and wanted to replace it for him. My little Yorkie puppy thought it was a toy, and…well, now it's totally unusable." She gave Marquanda a big smile.

"Tee hee! That's not the first time I've ever heard of that happening." She walked over to the computer on the counter. "I think I know who your friend is…let's see, real tall, likes to dress like that old movie star, or should I say soap opera star? That's what she's doing now. "Passion & Pride". What is her name? Oh, yeah, Natalie Wycomb. Let's see here, yes, Michael Osterhouse. There he is." Marquanda looked around to make sure no one else would hear their conversation. "Poor thing. He tries, but there just AIN'T no way to make THAT pretty, know what I mean? Sorry, but the manufacturer doesn't even make it anymore. Maybe he can find something a little more suitable. Just tell him to come talk to Marquanda, okay?"

Matt and Chris thanked the clerk and made a bee line for the truck. Chris was nearly suffocating trying not to laugh at Matt's reaction to Marquanda. Once they were out of sight down the street, she burst into laughter. Matt was just shaking his head. "Honestly! I'm a married man! Do I really look like…?" He couldn't even finish his sentence. Chris couldn't hear him anyway for her own laughter.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER 15**

After getting back to the office and suffering through the elevator ride up to the penthouse with Chris, Matt walked in, right past CJ, and straight to the bar where he poured himself a shot of Jack Daniel's. "Matt, are you okay?" CJ had a puzzled look on her face. She looked at Chris who appeared to have been crying. "What in the world happened to you two?"

Chris sat down at her desk and dissolved into another laughing fit. Matt was just leaning on the bar shaking his head. "Well, I've got good news and bad news, which do you want first, CJ?"

"A little good news might be helpful today." She looked back over at Chris who was now wiping her eyes with a tissue and blowing her nose.

"The good news is that the clerk at the store identified the wig as belonging to Osterhouse." He poured himself another shot of whiskey.

"Okay, so what's the bad news?" She walked over to stand beside him.

Matt threw back the shot. "The clerk there, Marquanda, thought that the wig was for me, and told me that I'd have to get rid of my mustache and have laser treatments for my beard." He didn't even bother to look up at her.

CJ stood there in shock for a few seconds before what Matt had said sank in. Then she burst out in a fit of laughter.

"I'm so glad y'all find it funny." Matt walked out onto the patio and leaned on the wall overlooking the street below. After getting her laughter under control, CJ followed him out on the patio.

"Matt, sorry I laughed. But it was pretty darn funny." He still wasn't laughing. "Oh, come on! Who really cares what she thinks? The important thing is that you found out that Osterhouse bought the wig. Now we need to keep an eye on him and see if he does anything that would prove that he's the killer."

Matt stood up. "Guess I better call Hoyt and let him know about the wig." He went back into the office and made the phone call. Hoyt was glad to hear the news, but was still impatient to wrap up the case. "Believe me, Hoyt; nobody will be gladder than me when this is over with." Matt wasn't looking forward to spending another lonely night in the van listening to Osterhouse snore.

A couple of hours later Matt met up with Uncle Roy. "You know, Matt, I've been thinking. There's really no point in one of us sitting on this house during the day when Osterhouse isn't here. There is absolutely nothing going on here. I'm thinking we would be smarter to plant a few cameras at his business."

"I've been thinking the same thing, too. How do you want to go about it?" Matt looked at the bag of cheeseburgers and fries and dreaded the coming hours of surveillance.

"Divide and conquer seems like a great plan to me. We could have CJ go back in to pick out a casket for "Hoyt" and then I could go in while she's browsing and distract him while she plants a couple of cameras." Roy looked over at his nephew.

"That should work. Talk to CJ about it and y'all do it first thing in the morning." He changed the subject. "Got another date with the widow tonight?" Uncle Roy never seemed to be dateless.

"No, but I've got a couple of waitresses that I'm taking out on a dinner cruise." He smiled at the stunned look on Matt's face. "What can I say, boy? The ladies just find me irresistible." With that, he got out of the van and walked to his car and left the parking lot.

Matt started the van and went back to Osterhouse's street to set up for the night. He turned on the monitors to find that their suspect had made it home earlier tonight. Instead of sitting in front of the TV eating a microwave dinner, he was going down to the basement. Matt switched to the basement monitor, but didn't see Osterhouse. "Where in the hell did he go?" He looked back at the other monitors and there was no sign of him anywhere.


	16. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER 16**

"Uncle Roy, I hate to bother you, but we've got a problem." Matt had called his uncle and was now describing what had happened. "Are you sure there isn't another room in there?"

"I looked all over that house. Where was the last place you saw him?" Roy was puzzled.

"He walked through the living room and turned onto the stairs. I switched to the basement monitor and nothing. I switched back to the living room monitor and nothing. Then I checked all of the monitors, still no sign of him. He didn't just disappear into thin air. There's got to be another room in that house."

"I don't know what else we can do; we'll just have to keep an eye out for him tonight and then go in tomorrow while he's at work and check for a hidden room." He could feel Matt's frustration through the phone.

"Okay. I'll keep watching. Maybe CJ and Chris should go to the cemetery tomorrow and you and I should handle this here." Matt took a sip of his coffee.

"Sounds like a plan to me. I'll see you in the morning." Uncle Roy hung up and thought about the situation as he drove to pick up his dates for the evening.

Two and half hours later, Osterhouse reappeared on the living room monitor, coming from the stairwell. "At least we won't have to look all over the house for a secret room. It's got to be on the stairwell." Matt realized he was talking to himself. He dialed the house and CJ picked up the phone.

"Hi. How's it going?" He missed her already and he still had a long night left to go.

"It's going. I've run out of things to do so I've been channel surfing. Not much on tonight. I miss you." CJ knew it was mutual.

"I really miss you, even though you laughed at me today." He smiled, then started to chuckle. "Guess it was kinda funny. Chris came really close to passing out she was laughing so hard."

"I'm glad you can laugh about it now. So what is our suspect up to?" She wished he was at home with her, cuddled up in the recliner watching a movie.

"He pulled a Houdini on me earlier." Matt explained what had happened and told her about the plan that he and Uncle Roy had come up with for the following day.

"As long as Chris doesn't see Marquanda again, I think we can pull that off." She started to laugh again, just thinking about the look on Matt's face while he was leaning on the bar.

"That's going to be hard to live down, isn't it?" He was laughing himself, until he looked back up at the monitor and saw Osterhouse go into the bedroom that appeared to belong to a woman. "Aha! What's our boy up to now?" He watched as Osterhouse walked across the room to the wigs and began brushing them, then went to the closet and pulled out a dress and held it up to himself in front of the mirror. "Oh, boy, if Marquanda could only see this now. She might be able to help him look more attractive." He told CJ what their suspect was doing.

"Oh, goody. That's just given me the creeps." She went to make sure the doors were locked once again.

"Well, now he's put the outfit back in the closet and left the room. Looks like he's getting ready for bed. Guess I better get off of here now. Did you lock the doors?" He knew she could take care of herself, but he still worried.

"Yes, dear. You be careful out there tonight, okay? I love you." She couldn't wait until this case was over.

"Love you, too. Good night." He hung up and watched as Osterhouse got into the bed and turned out the lamp. "Time for another cheeseburger."


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER 17**

Matt suffered through another long, uneventful night in the van. Uneventful, that is, after Osterhouse's Houdini impersonation and his wig brushing session. He met Uncle Roy in the parking lot a short distance away.

"I talked to CJ last night about the change in plans. She and Chris are going to take care of planting the cameras in the cemetery office. It shouldn't be too much trouble to find the hidden room in that house – it's got to run off of the stairwell." He took a bite out of the sausage biscuit that Uncle Roy had brought for him.

Uncle Roy drank his coffee. "I just wonder what he's got in there. You say he was in there over two hours?"

"Yep, closer to two and a half." He took a gulp of coffee and was wishing he could go home and just go to bed. He was sleepy and the caffeine just didn't seem to be clearing the fog.

They waited until they saw Osterhouse pass by in his car, then went back to the street. Both men picked up clipboards out of the van and clipped official-looking ID's on the front of their shirts before heading up toward the house. They acted like they were inspecting utility connections before walking around to the back and picking the lock on the door.

Matt led the way into the house and walked straight to the stairwell. He had brought a flashlight with him, but flipped the light switch on the wall as well. "There it is." He pointed out a small knob that was half hidden by the fuse box on the wall. He pulled a pair of leather gloves out of his pocket as Uncle Roy did the same, then eased the door open. It was completely dark inside. He shone the flashlight around but couldn't find a switch without going into the room. He stepped inside then turned to shine the light on the wall and found what he was looking for and flipped the switch. Matt and Roy were both stunned.

The interior of the room looked like a shrine to Natalie Wycomb. There were movie posters on the walls from each of the films that she had made, along with numerous autographed photos of her. An old projector was in the center of the room and a movie screen was pulled down at the far end. Matt stepped next to the projector and looked at the title on the film canister. "Don't Look Back" was the title of the film that was last played. He told Roy what he had found.

"Well, I just found something else. We need to talk to Hoyt." He pointed to three glass jars on a shelf – all three contained pairs of eyeballs. Matt was wide awake now.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER 18**

"It's so good to see you again." Michael Osterhouse welcomed CJ to the office of the pet cemetery. "Have you and your husband decided what services you would like to plan for your cat. What was his name, Hoyt I believe?"

"Yes, how nice of you to remember. My husband thought I should pick out the casket since I'm closer to Hoyt than he is, you know, he's a mama's boy." She found it hard to look the man in the eye after what she had learned about him.

"Very good. If you'll follow me, we have a display of caskets in the showroom." Osterhouse started that way just as Chris came in the door. "Please excuse me. Feel free to inspect the displays and let me know if you have any questions." He turned to welcome Chris.

CJ took the opportunity as she was passing by his desk to place a camera on the underside of the counter right next to it. It would show what he was doing at his desk. Then she walked back to the showroom and started looking around for any possible hidden doors. After what Matt had told her last night, she thought it was a wise move. She found a place to plant another camera in some artificial flowers that were on top of one of the larger caskets.

Chris was asking about the memorial stones as CJ finished her inspection of the room. She came out and Osterhouse excused himself from Chris. "Did you find anything to your liking?"

"Oh, yes, but I want my husband's opinion before I get it. It is a family decision, after all." She thanked him and shook his hand, then left the building. Chris was out the door a couple of minutes later and followed CJ back to the office.

When they got off of the elevator, they heard Matt, Roy, and Hoyt talking about the case. Matt eased over to the door to see who was there, and turned back to the other two men. "It's okay, it's the girls." He walked back over behind the bar and began making another pot of coffee. CJ and Chris came in and Matt filled them in on what he and Uncle Roy had found that morning in the secret room.

Chris shuddered. "I can't believe I just shook that guy's hand!" She took off for the rest room to wash her hands.

"That is truly disturbing." CJ looked shocked as she took the cup of coffee that Matt offered her.

"Okay, I'm thinking its Thursday morning. If he sticks to his schedule from last weekend, he won't kill again until tomorrow night. I say we just keep a close eye on him and tail him when he leaves tomorrow night." Matt was yawning as he finished telling his idea to the others.

"Matt, you need to get some sleep tonight. I'll go home and catch a few hours of sleep and take the night shift tonight." Roy saw the circles under his nephew's eyes.

"I would sure appreciate it, Uncle Roy." He finished his cup of coffee and headed for the elevator, then remembered he hadn't told CJ goodbye. Matt turned back around and walked back to the bar to give her a peck on the cheek.

"Where are you going?" She watched him turn back toward the door.

"To watch our boy at work. See you later." He got into the elevator and yawned as he hit the button for the garage level.

Matt spent the next several hours watching Osterhouse sharpen pencils, doodle on a scratch pad, and read the paper in between customers. He closed up shop at 5:00 sharp and headed home. Matt was tailing him from a safe distance in the van, then turned into the parking lot where he and Uncle Roy had been meeting to change shifts.

Roy was there waiting on him. Matt got out of the van and told him about the uneventful day and thanked him again for taking the night shift.

"Well, I didn't have a date set up for tonight, so why not?" Roy got into the van and took off to watch Osterhouse. Matt just watched him go and then climbed into his truck and went to the ranch. When he got there, he discovered CJ had decided to treat him to a big dinner: steak, baked potato, and a salad, with cheesecake for dessert.

As she cleared the dishes she told him that she had gotten a movie for them to watch. "Oh, what is it?" He made his way into the den.

"It's a classic. Maybe you've heard of it: "Don't Look Back"." She laughed. "I thought maybe we could do some homework and see if there is anything in there that might help us out on the case." She started the dishwasher. "What do you think?" CJ came into the den and found Matt stretched out in the recliner sound asleep.

"Well, I guess I can do the homework and you can sleep." She covered him with a blanket, then popped the movie into the DVD player and sat down on the couch to watch it alone. It didn't take long for her to discover why Uncle Roy didn't believe another movie role was in Natalie Wycomb's future: she was a terrible actress. Halfway through the movie CJ caught herself yawning. Then something in the movie caught her eye: black roses. She hit the rewind button on the remote, then slow motion. Sure enough, there were black roses.

Looking at the clock, she saw it was around 7:30 so she called Hoyt's cell phone. "I figured it out! The black roses were in the original movie."

Hoyt listened as she described the scene. "That must be it. Kind of odd, though. They didn't really play a role in the film, they were just set decorations."

"So was Natalie Wycomb." CJ couldn't help herself. "She really is a terrible actress, Hoyt. Unbelievably bad, in fact."

He chuckled. "Well, what does Houston think about it?"

"He doesn't. He crashed out in the recliner right after supper and is still out of it." She looked over at her husband of six weeks, now almost seven. He hadn't budged an inch.

"Well, I guess he can learn about it in the morning. I still wonder how they got in the theater, though. It's hard to believe the CSI's would miss something like that three times. Good work, counselor, or should I call you PI, too?" He was still laughing at how excited she had been when he answered the call.


	19. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER 19**

Matt woke up Friday morning to CJ smiling at him and holding out a steaming mug of coffee. He realized he was still in the recliner. So much for being home.

"Well, you certainly slept well." She laughed at the embarrassed expression on his face.

"Sorry, CJ." Matt sat up and took a sip of the coffee. "That sure didn't turn out like I had planned." He took her hand and kissed it. "Promise I'll make it up to you."

"That's okay. You looked really cute laying there zonked out. I don't think you moved at all." She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. "Besides, I did some homework while you were checking your eyelids for holes. I found out the black rose connection." CJ said the last with a proud smile.

"Oh? What is it?" Matt was awake for sure now.

"See for yourself." She had paused the movie at the scene where the black roses were shown.

"Okay, but is that all there is to them, I mean they didn't really do anything for the story, right?" He looked confused.

"That's it. Evidently it was something that he fixated on – besides the leading lady, that is." CJ turned off the movie. "I called Hoyt last night and told him about it."

Matt pulled her down into his lap and began kissing her. CJ started in, "We're going to be late for work…" That was all she was able to get out before Matt stood up with her in his arms and carried her off to the bedroom.

"I'm the boss, who's going to get onto me?" He grinned as he carried her into the bedroom.

Two hours later, Matt and CJ stepped off the elevator into the office, both wearing big smiles.

"Well, there you two are. I was starting to wonder about you." Chris had been worried about the pair, but then the thought occurred to her that they were, after all, still newlyweds. Neither Matt nor CJ offered an excuse and walked right on into the main office.

"I'll call Uncle Roy and tell him you're on the way." CJ walked into her office and dialed Roy's cell phone.

"Hello there, my beautiful niece. How are you this morning?" Roy sounded as chipper as ever.

"I'm just fine, my handsome uncle. Matt is on his way to meet you, he's just running a little late this morning." She tried not to laugh.

"Uh huh, I just bet I know why. Tell him that all was calm here last night. I'll meet him at the parking lot." He smiled as he put down his cell.

Matt met Roy about thirty minutes later. He got out of his truck with a smile. Roy tried to give him a rough time about being late, but Matt never said a word, he just kept smiling, throwing off Roy's game plan. He left and went home for a few hours of sleep so that he would be ready in case Osterhouse decided to kill again that night.

Matt called the office later that afternoon and talked to Hoyt and Roy to work out the plan for that night's operation. They would let CJ take a turn in the van watching Osterhouse at work. When he left, she would follow at a safe distance and report his movements to Matt and Roy. They would then follow him to which ever theater he went to, and Roy would act as bait by sitting in the back of the theater with only one row between himself and the back wall.

"I don't know, Houston. That's putting Roy in a lot of danger. Even if you or I are in the theater, it's still putting him in danger." Hoyt was worried. Roy Houston was an experienced operative, but he was also a senior citizen.

"You'll have people planted in the theater, plus we'll have a spotter with night vision to direct your men. I don't think Uncle Roy will be in that much danger." Matt didn't want his uncle in harm's way, but knew that they didn't have a lot of choice in the matter; Osterhouse had already seen Matt.

"No, I'm not putting him in danger like that. I'll be the bait. I'm younger…" Hoyt began.

"So what you're saying is that I'm too old, is that it Michael?" Roy was visibly mad.

"Roy, it's just that…I couldn't take it if anything happened to you. Besides, you're a civilian. I'm in charge of this operation, you understand that." Hoyt didn't like to pull rank on Roy, but he couldn't take any chances on a civilian being injured in a police operation.

Matt couldn't remember the last time he had heard so much anger in his uncle's voice. He understood the position of both men. "Look, what if I was to wear a disguise? Plus it will be dark in there. Osterhouse wouldn't be able to make me out in the dark."

Roy just stared at Hoyt. He couldn't believe that his friend had so little faith in his ability. Hoyt knew that Roy was ready to strangle him. Neither of them spoke.

"Are you two still there? Hello?" Matt thought the connection had been broken.

"We're still here, Matt." Roy's voice sounded tight.

"So do we have a deal, Hoyt? Uncle Roy and I have put a lot of time and effort into this investigation. I think you owe us the opportunity to be in on the bust." Matt waited for an answer. He wondered what was going on between the two men at his office.

"Okay, Roy can do it, but I want him armed. Roy, don't you dare let anything happen to you." Matt heard the emotion in Hoyt's voice.

"Alright, Mattlock. We've got this worked out. I'll see you later." Roy hung up the phone.

Matt sure hoped they had it worked out. While he knew Roy wasn't getting any younger, he also knew that he could still move faster than most younger people and he was still mentally sharp. Hoyt was concerned because Roy was his friend plus he didn't want the brass to come down on him for a civilian injury during a police operation. Both sides had their valid points, but Matt was sure Roy would be fine or he never would have suggested for him to be the bait in the first place.

CJ showed up to meet him in a grocery store parking lot a couple of blocks away from the pet cemetery. She swapped places with her husband and, after a hug and kiss, left to keep up the surveillance on Osterhouse.

Matt went back to the office where he, Roy, and Hoyt ran through the plan with the other officers who would be helping them. At 5:00 CJ called to let them know that Michael Osterhouse was on the move. He was headed toward his house, presumably to don his costume. CJ parked the van a few houses down and turned on the monitors. Matt, Roy, and the officers all went down to the parking garage, loaded up and headed in the direction of the suspect's house.

"Okay, Matt he's in the bedroom starting to put on a dress. Oh, that's just not right. Ewwwwww. That was something that I did NOT want to see." CJ wasn't enjoying this part of the job at all. "Thank goodness, he's got the dress on. Now he's moving on to hair and makeup."

Matt and Roy were trying their best not to snicker but they weren't having much luck. Neither were the police officers who were also hearing CJ's detailed reports. Even Hoyt chuckled a time or two.

"You know, Matt, I believe your friend Marquanda may have been right: there just AIN'T no way to make THAT pretty." CJ giggled herself after the last remark. Several of the officers, including Hoyt, finally broke down and burst into laughter.

"Alright. He's heading out the door now. Here we go. He's heading east." A couple of minutes later she reported again. "Now we're heading south on Arrington. Okay, now we're going west on Slauson. I believe there's a theater a few blocks away. Roy, do you have the list?"

"There's one in the 3400 block. Sounds like that's the target." He pulled his snub nosed .38 out of his shoulder holster and checked the load. Matt looked over at him.

"Uncle Roy, don't take any chances in there. Get a big bucket of popcorn and have your gun in there. He won't be able to see it, and it'll be handy." He was starting to get slightly nervous, but knew that Roy was a professional who had seen more action than Matt could even dream about.

"Yep, already got that one planned out, Matt. I must be a good influence on you. You're starting to think like me now." He smiled over at the younger man.

"Okay guys, he's pulling into the parking lot on the corner of Slauson and Western. Looks like this is the place." CJ passed by the parking lot and found a parking place on the street in front of a bakery that had gone out of business. She pulled out a pair of binoculars and was watching Osterhouse through the back window of the van. "He's out of the car and heading for the theater. This guy really has no idea how to accessorize: that purse does NOT go with his outfit."

Matt snickered as he pulled into a parking place at the curb a block down from the theater. He looked over at his uncle. "Okay, looks like this is it. You know we'll be in there with you, so the minute something starts to happen we'll be right on top of it. But don't be afraid to use that .38, okay?"

"Alright, boy. I'll see you inside." With that, Roy nimbly got out of the truck and casually walked up to the ticket office of the theater. "One for "Don't Look Back"." He paid the cashier and strolled inside and went straight to the concession stand for popcorn.

Matt and Hoyt were on the move. They waited until Osterhouse was in the theater, then made contact with the manager and they and the other officers one by one drifted into the theater. They had one officer with night vision binoculars who was stationed behind the curtain at the front of the theater and he was keeping an eye on the audience, which now included Uncle Roy.

"The suspect has just entered the theater. He's looking around now. Okay, he's moving in behind Roy." The officer wasn't taking his eyes off of Osterhouse.

Roy could tell that someone had just moved into the seat behind him. He had his pistol in hand inside the popcorn bucket. The previews began showing on the screen, then the opening music of the movie began. Roy was ready.

"It looks like the suspect is waiting for everyone to settle down. There are still a few people coming into the theater." Matt and Hoyt were waiting in the hallway just outside the theater, pistols in hand.

About 10 minutes into the movie, the officer with night vision reported again. "Okay, he's digging in the purse. Looks like he's got a rope. Get ready…NOW!"

On that word, the lights in the theater came on just as the rope went around Roy's neck. Officers moved in from every direction and Matt and Hoyt were the first to Roy's side with their guns pointed at Michael Osterhouse. "DROP IT!" Matt was about two feet from Osterhouse and could tell that he recognized him from the pet cemetery. The murderer had a crazed look on his face. Roy ducked down in the seat under the rope, then spun around as he got to his feet and drew his pistol on Osterhouse, who was now surrounded by eight men with weapons trained on his head. He reached down into his lap and pulled up the evisceration scoop – the instrument used to remove eyeballs – and held it up. "NO!" He shouted out.

Just as Osterhouse stood Matt saw that he also had a scalpel in his other hand. "DROP IT! NOW!" Matt had hardly gotten the words out when Osterhouse lunged toward him and stabbed him with the scalpel. As the blade penetrated his chest, he reflexively pulled the trigger on his Sig Sauer. The force of the shot sent the murderer backwards a few feet and he went down in a heap. Matt sank to his knees. The last thing he saw was Uncle Roy's worried face hovering over his own.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER 20**

Roy Houston was standing in the hallway of the hospital just outside of Matt's room. He was worried about his nephew: he still hadn't regained consciousness. Roy had left the room to stretch his legs and talk to the police officers that Hoyt had posted on the door.

Lt. Michael Hoyt got off of the elevator and turned right. He saw Roy talking to the two officers that he had assigned to protect Houston. He could tell the elder Houston was worried. "How's he doing this morning?" Hoyt looked at Roy.

"He's stable. Still hasn't come to yet. CJ's in there with him – of course." He was sure glad that Matt and CJ had finally come to their senses and seen what everyone around them had seen for over twenty years; they were in love and had been since the day that they had met. She hadn't left his side since he was stabbed in the theater, except when he had been in surgery. As soon as the doctors let her, she was with him.

"Hoyt, we were just talking about the roses. We never got to ask Osterhouse about that." Roy had been puzzling over that the whole time Matt had been unconscious.

"I talked to the theater managers. In each case, a "woman" had come to the theater claiming that she had left her purse. They didn't see any harm in letting her in to reclaim her property. Evidently that's when the roses were left." He couldn't understand why citizens didn't seem to comprehend that "Crime Scene: Do Not Cross" meant that no one was allowed to enter except police officers.

"Well, that makes sense. At least we know that the CSI's weren't at fault. But I've been wondering about the hair and blood that Matt found on the door frame at the third crime scene." Roy hadn't been able to stop thinking about the loose ends of the case.

"The blood came back as a match to Osterhouse. Apparently he tripped and hit his head on the way out of the theater. The coroner found a small cut on his head." Hoyt was glad the case was over. He was just worried about Houston. When Matt had hit the floor with the scalpel in his chest, Hoyt had flashed back to the time that he had been stabbed with a butcher knife in the same spot when he was helping Hoyt find his daughter Kathy, who had been kidnapped by a child molester. They had almost lost him that time as well as the time that he had been shot point blank and had flat lined in the ER. All three times he had received injuries so close to his heart. The doctor had said that if it wasn't for the scar tissue from the other two injuries, Matt would have been dead.

_What in the hell is that noise? _Matt was irritated by a continual beeping noise. He tried moving his head but the noise wouldn't go away. He felt someone take his hand and he heard CJ's voice.

"Matt? Come on, hon, wake up for me." She leaned closer and saw his eyes start to open. "That's it, come on, wake up."

Matt opened his eyes. "What the … oh, hell no. Not again." He closed his eyes tightly and reopened them. Yep, he was in a hospital room. He let out a groan.

"Well, it's so good to know that you're glad to see me." CJ smiled at him. "You gave us a little bit of a scare there, Cowboy."

His mind was still a little fuzzy. _What did I do THIS time? _he thought to himself. He looked up at CJ. She looked a little tired. Then his mind started to clear and he remembered. He tried to sit up and then wished that he hadn't as a wave of dizziness washed over him. "Is Uncle Roy okay?" Osterhouse had tried to strangle him, he remembered now.

"Yes, he's fine. He's out stretching his legs. Do you want to see him?" CJ was gently rubbing his cheek. Matt nodded and she walked over to the door and opened it. "He wants to see you, Uncle Roy."

Roy and Hoyt walked into the room. Both men looked tired but relieved. "So, Boy, what's on your mind?" Roy was trying to be very nonchalant.

"Just wanted to be sure you were okay." Matt's voice was slightly hoarse.

"I'm fine, Matt. After all, I'm not the one that got stabbed with a scalpel. I think we need to invest in some body armor for you. You had already been shot and stabbed just millimeters from your heart, and now you've managed to do it again." He walked over to Matt and took his hand. "You had us worried."

"And to think that I was worried about Roy getting hurt. Guess I should have known you would be the one to create a problem with this operation. Lousy PI's are like lightning rods." Hoyt walked over and shook Matt's hand. "Glad you're still among the living, Houston."

"What about Osterhouse?" Matt knew he had shot the man, but didn't know if he was still alive.

"You didn't miss. You nailed him right in the heart. He's dead." Hoyt looked at his friend. "I think the world is better off."

Matt nodded, then looked at CJ. "When can I get out of here?"

CJ, Hoyt, and Roy all laughed as CJ looked at her watch. "Okay, boys, pay up. I told you that it would be less than four minutes after he regained consciousness that he would ask that question."

The two men both pulled five dollars out of their pockets and handed the money to CJ.

"The doctor says you need to stay here for at least three days. Then I thought we might make a little trip – to Hawaii. I think you need some of Mama's lasagna to fully recuperate." She smiled at her husband and rubbed his cheek again.

"Now that treatment I won't argue with at all." Matt pulled her closer and kissed her.


End file.
